Sample Grant

The following is an actual grant application from 2009-10 that meets the majority of our criteria for funding for an Enrichment Grant:

Title of Proposal: History Alive! The Salem Community Primary Source Project

Curriculum Area: United States History IITotal Funding Requested: $750.00Principal Approval: Principal has approved

Question 1 – Summary of Project:

History Alive! The Salem Community Primary Source Project is an oral history project that will ultimately result in a primary source collection detailing and preserving the memories of Salem residents. Through this project, students will have the opportunity to be historians, conducting authentic research, evaluating primary sources, and examine their local history. The people of Salem have witnessed momentous historical events over their lifetimes; this project seeks to capture and preserve those memories to keep them alive for the benefit of future generations of students, scholars, and interested parties.

Question 2 – Describe your project in greater detail:

US History II students (40 students) will participate in this project as a course requirement addressing the framework standards – “the reading of primary source documents is a key feature of the two-year set of U.S. history standards.”. History Alive! The Salem Community Primary Source Project will allow students to analyze primary source documents as well as develop their own primary sources. Students will demonstrate mastery of other skills and concepts, such as: interpreting and constructing timelines, showing connections between historical events and ideas, distinguishing historical fact from opinion, and interpreting the past within its own historical context, rather than in terms of present-day norms.

The two major objectives for this project are: 1) to encourage students to develop and use primary sources to enrich and build on their understanding of historical events already learned through the use of traditional sources and 2) to provide the Salem community with the preservation of memories, stories and historical recollections of Salem residents.

Throughout this project, students will use the grant funded History Channel multimedia classroom American History series to examine historical events through the eyes of the people who witnessed these events. Students will engage in the study of primary sources, contemporary political cartoons, critical thinking activities and web-quests. In addition, funds will also be used to purchase Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States which students will read. These resources will give students a perspective on events from witnesses and groups underrepresented in traditional historical texts (women, minorities, and the underprivileged). Students will realize that primary sources are valuable, yet often underutilized resource when studying history. After examining these materials, students will complete their study of US History II by interviewing Salem residents and members of the Salem community at large to collect and compile the history of the last 50 years of Salem history. This project will be presented to the entire school community and then be made available to the general public through the Salem Public Library. Press Releases to local papers will inform the general public of its availability.

Question 3 – Timeline:

This project would begin in March 2010. By that period we will have examined a number of primary sources, and we will have reached the Great Depression in our curriculum. This is the point at which students can be reasonably expected to find and interview members of the Salem community and record their observations about events of historical significance. The presentation to the school community will take place in June, with materials going to the SPL by late June. We will inform SEF of the school presentation.

Question 4 – Project success is measured through evaluation:

Students will be evaluated regularly on their understanding of primary sources through written assignments, quizzes and ultimately on the quality of the project that they complete. This project will be deemed a success when students produce a collection of primary source materials that have enriched their knowledge and understanding, and can be donated to both the school library and the Salem Public Library.The success of this project will be reported through the presentation of the students’ work to the school community and inclusion of a link to their work on the school website. In addition, the students are going to present this work to the Salem Public Library as a gift to the people of Salem. We will publicize this by contacting local media outlets such as the community newspapers, local television stations and SEF.

Question 5 – Help to promote the concept of lifelong learning:

This project will foster creativity through the creation of an entirely new historical resource. Students will examine the impact of historical events on their own community and people; they will promote the concept of citizenship by creating a resource that will be presented to the community and help keep alive the memories of the contributions of the people of Salem.